The 10 most influential women in Russia

Valentina Matviyenko was named The most influential woman in Russian politics. Source: ITAR-TASS

Politicians, businesspeople, legal figures and one pop star make up this annual ranking.

Each year in honor of International Women’s
Day on March 8, the Ekho Moskvy radio station, Ogonyok magazine and the Interfax
news agency put together a list of the 100 most influential women in Russia. RBTH
gives you the top 10.

1. Valentina Matviyenko, 64,
Chairperson of the Federation Council

The most influential woman in Russian
politics governed the second largest city in Russia, St. Petersburg, for eight
years (2003-2011). Since 2011, she has been the speaker of Russia's upper house
of parliament, the Federation Council.

Matviyenko began her career as a
Komsomol and Communist party functionary and also served as a diplomat in Malta
and Greece.

2. Elvira Nabiullina, 50, Head
of the Russian Central Bank

Elvira Nabiullina is not only be the first woman in Russian history to
head the Central Bank, but also the first person from the Ministry of
Economic Development to take up the position. Source: RIA Novosti

A
specialist in macroeconomics, Nabiullina is known for generating new ideas for
economic programs.

3. Tatiana Golikova, 48, Chairperson
of the Accounts Chamber

Tatiana Golikova. Source: ITAR-TASS

Head of the Accounts Chamber since
September 2013, Golikova was previously an assistant to the president for
socio-economic cooperation with the CIS countries, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia
(2012-2013).

She also served as Russia’s Minister of Health and Social
Development (2007-2012) and Deputy Finance Minister (2002-2004).

4. Olga Golodets, 51, Deputy
Prime Minister

Olga Golodets. Source: ITAR-TASS

Golodets has been a member of the Russian
government since May 2012; she is responsible for social issues. She previously
served as Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Affairs (2011-2012), and Deputy
Mayor of Moscow for Health and Education (2010-2011).

She is also a composer and songwriter, director, producer,
actress and television host.

She was named a People's Artist of the Soviet
Union in 1991 and Laureate of the State Prize of Russia in 1995.

Her repertoire includes more than 500 songs
in Russian, English, German, French, Hebrew, Finnish, and Ukrainian, and her discography
includes more than 100 solo records, CDs and DVDs.

She has sold more than 250
million CDs. She also has her own eponymous brand of shoes.

7. Natalia Timakova, 38, Dmitry
Medvedev’s press secretary

Natalia Timakova works with Dmitry Medvedev since 2008. Source: ITAR-TASS

Timakova has served as press secretary for Prime
Minister Dmitry Medvedev since May 22, 2012 and is also his deputy chief of
staff. She was also Medvedev’s press secretary during his presidency
(2008-2012).

Before joining the government press service in 1999, Timakova was
a political commentator for the Russian news agency Interfax and a journalist
for the Kommersant and Moskovsky Komsomolets newspapers.

8. Alina Kabayeva, 30, Russian
State Duma deputy, Olympic champion

Former sportswoman Alina Kabayeva now is the State Duma deputy. Source: ITAR-TASS

Kabayeva won gold at the 2004 Summer
Olympic Games in Athens in rhythmic gymnastics. She was also the bronze
medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Additionally, she is a two-time world
champion in rhythmic gymnastics (1999 and 2003), a five-time European champion
(1998-2000, 2002, 2004) and a six-time Russian champion (1999-2000, 2004,
2006).

Olga Dergunova was named the most successful women in EU in 2004. Source: RIA Novosti

Since June 2012, Dergunova has been the Deputy
Minister of Economic Development and the Head of the Federal Agency for State
Property Management. Earlier, she was the president of Microsoft Rus
(2004-2007).

In 2002, The Wall Street Journal named
Dergunova one of the 25 most successful and influential businesswomen in
Europe, and in 2004 she was named one of the 10 most successful and influential
business women in Europe.

10. Olga Yegorova, 58, Chairperson
of Moscow Municipal Court

Olga Yegorova. Source: RIA Novosti

Yegorova has been the chairperson of Moscow
Municipal Court since 2000. She began her career as a judge on the court and
also served as deputy chairperson for civil cases before becoming the chairperson.